Premier Susan Holt Accelerates Expansion of Collaborative Healthcare Clinics Across New Brunswick

FREDERICTON, N.B. — Premier Susan Holt and Health Minister officials announced the operational launch of New Brunswick's 16th collaborative primary care clinic, crossing the halfway threshold of the provincial government's statutory commitment to open 30 multidisciplinary "health homes" across the province by 2028.

Collaborative Care Framework and Resource Allocation

The provincial healthcare expansion, funded through a dedicated $30 million allocation in the 2026–2027 provincial budget, restructures primary care delivery across Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network:

• Interdisciplinary Team Model: Each collaborative clinic integrates family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, clinical pharmacists, social workers, and physiotherapists under a shared clinical governance model, allowing patients to be triaged to the most appropriate healthcare professional.
• Patient Attachment Progress: Over 38,000 New Brunswickers previously registered on the NB Health Link patient registry have been formally attached to permanent collaborative care teams since the rollout began, significantly reducing emergency department reliance for routine prescription renewals and chronic disease management.
• Physician and Nurse Retention Agreements: The initiative is supported by a four-year, $270-million compensation agreement negotiated with the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) providing overhead subsidies for physicians transitioning to collaborative clinics, alongside a collective agreement with the New Brunswick Nurses Union delivering a 12.5 per cent wage increase over four years.

"Every New Brunswicker deserves timely, dignified access to a dedicated primary healthcare team close to home," Premier Susan Holt said during a clinic opening in Saint Andrews. "By moving away from isolated solo practices toward modern team-based care, we are giving our doctors and nurses the administrative support they need while connecting thousands of families to reliable, lifelong healthcare."

Digital Health Integration and Waitlist Challenges

The Department of Health is pairing clinic expansions with a province-wide transition to a unified electronic medical record (EMR) system, enabling secure data sharing across hospital networks and community clinics.

While the government has met preliminary recruitment milestones, Premier Holt acknowledged ongoing regional challenges, particularly in rural northern ridings and the Miramichi region, where specialized nursing recruitment and bilingual practitioner shortages require continued incentive funding.

Parliamentary Timetable and Future Openings

The provincial government confirmed site preparations are underway for seven additional collaborative clinics scheduled to open before March 2027, with priority locations identified in Campbellton, Edmundston, and the Sussex region.